Founded by Creager in 1992, they have long held true to their mission of enlightening the common man as to the power and versatility of the mighty cello. Historically influenced, and constantly costumed, Rasputina keeps a small legion of incredibly passionate admirers enthralled with their earnest musicianship. Considered to be quite a pioneer and visionary, Melora and her group have inspired countless young people to pick up the cello, and have re-inspired many uninspired string players. Rasputina considers this to be the finest payment for their work.
Professional involvements have included Nirvana, Ultra Vivid Scene, Marilyn Manson, Porno For Pyros, Belle and Sebastian,and Cheap Trick.
Former Members of Rasputina:
Julia Kent (89-99)
Kris Cowperthwaite (00-02)
Zoë Keating (02-06)
Sarah Bowman (06-08)
Jonathon TeBeest (00-08)
Yellow Cake
Rasputina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the edge of a city that exists in perpetual gloom
I snatch a note from the basket of a passing bicycle
It says "Go to the flour factory
There's something waiting there for you."
Under the window, covered by curtains
All lacy and splattered with blood
And bullets on she shelves
Which I dismiss at once as being equivalent
Irrelevant, in and of themselves
Underneath the staircase there's a mast which flies a flag
Despite darkness beyond imagining, it floats on to a higher hole
In tunnels gouged beneath the basement room are, unmistakably
Sets of bloody handprints on a crumbling wall
Oh, won't you be there with me for it tonight
In this hut-to-hut witch hunt down the tunnels of Old Yellowcake
Where all the souls in the city go drowning by starlight
Where each choice you make is a fierce firefight or a new mistake
Inside of a room is a cage, is a cage. It's made out of chain and glass
It's about forty feet high and three feet wide, it was built to last
It's against a brick wall in an old muddy corner of a basement tunnel room
There's a man in the cage in the old muddy corner. He's asleep but he'll wake up soon
Under the window, covered by curtains, all lacy and splattered with blood
We find crutches in the corner and bullets on she shelves
Which I dismiss at once as being equivalent, irrelevant, in and of themselves
Oh, won't you be there with me for it tonight
In this hut-to-hut witch hunt down the tunnels of Old Yellowcake
Oh, won't you be there with me for it tonight
In this hut-to-hut witch hunt
Down the tunnels of Old Yellowcake
Where all the souls in the city go drowning by starlight
Where each choice you make is a fierce firefight or a new mistake
The lyrics of "Yellow Cake" by Rasputina are quite enigmatic and open to interpretation. The song begins with the singer observing an ice factory and receiving a mysterious note directing her to a flour factory where something awaits her. As she enters the building, she describes finding crutches and bullets, which she dismisses as irrelevant, and discovers sets of bloody handprints on a wall beneath the basement room. The second half of the song describes a surreal world of tunnels where all the souls in the city go drowning by starlight, and where each choice you make is a fierce firefight or a new mistake. The song ends with the image of a man asleep in a cage, waiting to awaken.
The song seems to be a commentary on the dark underbelly of society and the mysterious forces at play behind closed doors. The repeated lines "won't you be there with me for it tonight" suggest a need for companionship in facing the unknown and potentially dangerous aspects of the world. The references to old yellowcake (a term for raw uranium ore) and a fierce witch hunt suggest a larger political or social commentary, perhaps on the hidden forces of power that can crush individuals and communities. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery, and the haunting tone of the music adds to the overall eerie effect.
Line by Line Meaning
Smoke rises from an ice factory on the edge
There is a factory on the outskirts of the city that is producing smoke.
On the edge of a city that exists in perpetual gloom
The city is in a state of constant darkness and sadness.
I snatch a note from the basket of a passing bicycle
The singer finds a message while out in public.
It says 'Go to the flour factory, there's something waiting there for you.'
The message tells the artist to go to the flour factory for a specific reason.
Under the window, covered by curtains, all lacy and splattered with blood
The scene in the room is bloody and covered with curtains.
We find crutches in the corner and bullets on the shelves
There are weapons and medical devices in the room.
Which I dismiss at once as being equivalent, irrelevant, in and of themselves
The items in the room are not important on their own.
Underneath the staircase there's a mast which flies a flag
There is a flag flying from a mast under the staircase.
Despite darkness beyond imagining, it floats on to a higher hole
The flag is visible despite the darkness.
In tunnels gouged beneath the basement room are, unmistakably, sets of bloody handprints on a crumbling wall
There are bloody handprints on the walls of the tunnels.
Inside of a room is a cage, is a cage. It's made out of chain and glass
There is a cage made of chain and glass in one of the rooms.
It's against a brick wall in an old muddy corner of a basement tunnel room
The cage is located in a dark, dusty corner of a basement tunnel.
There's a man in the cage in the old muddy corner. He's asleep but he'll wake up soon
There is a man inside the cage, and he will wake up soon.
Oh, won't you be there with me for it tonight
The singer is asking someone to join them for an event.
In this hut-to-hut witch hunt down the tunnels of Old Yellowcake
The event is a witch hunt through the tunnels of Old Yellowcake.
Where all the souls in the city go drowning by starlight
The hunt takes place at night and is dangerous for those who participate.
Where each choice you make is a fierce firefight or a new mistake
Participants must make decisions quickly and carefully, as each choice can have serious consequences.
Contributed by Miles J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.